


Ducklings

by Vox (Meislovely)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Ducklings - Freeform, F/F, literal bird mom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2018-09-25 02:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9798299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meislovely/pseuds/Vox
Summary: Pearl finds some ducklings.





	1. Chapter 1

Pearl’s breath came in harsh pants as her feet pounded on the concrete of the sidewalk. Habanera came through her headphones at a decibel that was probably a little too loud to be completely healthy, but she loved the song a little too much to care.

She slowed to stop at the edge of the small pond that took up the center of the park, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. A glance at her phone made a grin spread across her face. She beat her last time.

Pearl had taken up jogging to combat stress. Jogging had led to sprinting, and sprinting had led to Pearl racing herself across town. Setting and beating her records never failed to put a smile on her face, and going to the lush park so frequently had been a lot more relaxing than she had anticipated.

Pearl ambled over to a bench, pulling a bag of rice out of her pocket before lowering herself gracefully. Right on cue, the ducks wading in the pond paddled over to her. They honked at her, circling the bench like hungry dogs and opening their little beaks.

A giggle slipped past her lips. “Yes, I know you’re all hungry. Please be patient.”

She opened up the bag and began to sprinkle it on the ground. Some of them flapped their wings as they raced towards it. Pearl couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her thin lips as she watched them waddle about.

One of the bushes next to the bench rustled violently, startling her into nearly dropping the whole bag. Pearl relaxed and let out a soft gasp as a few fluffy bodies waddled out and ran towards the adults, but were a bit too small to get through the crowd.

“Aren’t you just the cutest little things.” She murmured, trying not to scare them away.Their little feathers stuck up at odd angles, dead leaves stuck in them. Slowly, Pearl grabbed a handful of rice and crouched down, offering it to the tiny, fluffy ducklings. They waddled over cautiously, their tiny squeaks and chirps threatening to pull a squeal from her lips.

Finally, they stuck their tiny beaks in her hand to scoop out some of the rice. After they cautiously tasted, they seemed to take a liking to it, scrambling over her hand and each other to get some more.

There were three of them. The first, -the one trampling it’s siblings- was a bit small, but it’s downy yellow feathers puffed out to make it almost as big as the others. The second -the one that was perched on her wrist and squeaking loudly- had a couple of dark splotches on it’s back. The third -the one attempting to hoard all the food- was completely brown save for a few yellow stripes on it’s chest.

Ever so gently, she reached down to stroke them with her free hand, prompting a few more chirps and whistles.

A loud ring startled both her and the ducklings. She slipped forward, panic lancing through her chest as she dropped towards the ducklings. With a hysterical squawk, she braced herself with the hand she was using to pet them and flipped onto her back with a small ‘oof!’

Pearl let out a deep sigh of relief, looking tiredly up at the sky for a few moments as the fuzzy bodies crowded around her head. Finally, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and slid her finger across the screen, silencing the alarm. It was time to go home.

“I’m sorry, little ones, but it’s time for me to head home.” She murmured, sitting up and petting their downy feathers one more time. When she finally managed to get up, they clustered around her feet, hopping all over them. “Shouldn’t you be going home too? It’s late for birds, isn’t it?”

Pearl’s head swiveled around on her shoulders, trying to spy where the other ducks had gone. To her concern, they were all clustered in the middle of the pond already, honking at each other. Surely their mother would want to stay close to her children?

She hummed, gazing at the bush they had stumbled out of. That must be where their nest was.

“Alright, let’s get you all to bed.” She said softly, crouching down to pick them up. She held them carefully, making sure not to hurt them as she stepped over and peeked into the bush. Oddly enough, there was no nest.

Her eyebrows knit together. Where in the world could they have come from? Well… she couldn’t just leave them out in the open. She deposited them under the bush, taking a moment to smooth down their fluff.

“Alright, stay here and wait for your mother.” Pearl instructed, giving them a stern look. When she was sure they understood, she slipped her earbuds back into her ears. Her mouth pursed into a tight line when she realized she hadn’t stopped her music when she took a break. It had gone past all of her classical music, ending up on a cheery pop song that she had downloaded last week, and regretted ever since.

She shrugged, turning on her heel and starting home. It was going to be stuck in her head, but she had to admit that it was catchy. The sun was starting to sink under the rolling hills that surrounded the small city. Pearl couldn’t help but gaze at the soft colors painting the sky as she waited at the crosswalk. All of the endorphins were leaking out of her blood slowly, leaving her tired and satisfied.

When the light finally signalled for her to walk, she straightened her posture, but didn’t take a step. There was a small weight on her foot. A frustrated huff left her as she gazed down to see the tiny ducklings milling around her, gazing up with their small black eyes.

She pulled an earbud out, fixing them with a glare. Admittedly, a glare that held no malice, she couldn’t be seriously upset with the small things.

“Oh, what did I tell you back at the park?” She puffed. Her only answer was a chorus of heart rending squeaks. Pearl sighed and bent down to herd them into her hands. She couldn’t just leave them next to the road where they could be hit by a car.

Steadily ignoring the way they snuggled into her arms, she jogged back to the park. This time, the other ducks were nowhere to be found. Where did ducks go at night? No matter. She found her way back to the small bush.

Pearl deposited them back in the little space inside, taking a moment to soothe them.

“Now listen.” She said, kneeling next to them. “I can’t take you home. I don’t have any food or supplies. You _need_ to stay here.”

They simply stared at her, making pitiful noises. Pearl brought a hand to her head, rubbing her temples. She was well into her thirties, yet here she was. Trying to reason with tiny birds.

Finally she rose, holding her hand out as if to say “stay” and began to back away. They stayed put, watching her. So far, so good.

Oh, but their little eyes stared at her so pitifully-

Pearl shook her head quickly. She couldn’t take care of them. They would be better here. She continued to back away.

When she finally thought she could safely leave without any ducklings coming after her, she started to turn but a subtle movement in her peripheral vision had her doing a double take.

In the sparse shadows of the tree, a wiry cat crept along. It’s tail lashed and, when she followed it’s gaze, she found it focused on the bush.

Pearl sighed.

About an hour later, she muttered tiredly to herself as she handed some money to the cashier of the local pet store, hefting a bag of bird feed over her shoulder as the ducklings in the hood of her sweater let out a chorus of noisy chirps.


	2. Chapter 2

Garnet was bored.

Being a police officer, that was usually considered a good thing. That meant that the sleepy town was relatively safe. Nobody was getting hurt. Nobody was getting robbed. Everything was fine.

But damn, it was  _ dull _ . She hadn’t even written a ticket.  There were no calls from Kofi about teenagers loitering around his shop. She hadn’t heard from Mr.Smiley in over a week. Even Ronaldo hadn’t spotted anything ‘supernatural’ to use as an excuse to trespass on private property. This was the first time she felt cross with the well-behaved citizens of Beach City.

Her cruiser turned onto the main road, heading towards the coffee shop. It was going to take more than frustration to keep her awake through her shift.

The sudden hiss of her radio had her jolting in her seat and nearly veering off the road. After a few moments, the dispatcher’s high voice crackled through the radio.

“Garnet, we have a situation.”

“What is it?” She asked, keeping her excitement on a tight leash.

“Um… a woman called and screeched into the phone and I can’t figure out what the hell she wants.”

Garnet’s eyebrows pulled together,“Did you manage to get a location?”

“I think she might be somewhere near the school?”

“I’ll go check it out.”

She pulled a quick U-turn, starting in the direction of the school with maybe a  _ bit _ more speed than was legal. A small grin pulled at her lips at the thought of finally  _ doing _ something, though it was wiped away when a thin woman bolted in front of her car, waving erratically. Garnet slammed a foot down on the brakes, making her seatbelt lock up and dig uncomfortably into her chest. This must be the screeching woman.

Garnet quickly got out of the car, apprehension stirring in her chest. She had definitely seen this woman before (you don’t live in such a small town without seeing everyone at least once), but in the produce aisle or at the car wash, she always had an elegant, graceful air about her. Right now, she was an absolute mess. Her hair was fluffed and mangled into a loose representation of it’s usual style, and her narrow shoulders shook and hunched as she wrung her hands.

Pushing down her growing concern, Garnet approached her and held out a hand. “Hello ma’am, I’m officer-”

“My babies! They’re stuck!” She babbled, taking her arm and pulling her up the street with a strength that betrayed her small stature. “They’re s-stuck in the storm drain!”

Garnet looked at the storm drain she was being yanked towards. It looked to be in perfect condition. There wasn’t even any litter or leaves trapped in it. How in the world had a child -let alone, more than one- fallen in there?

Garnet looked back at her, eyebrows knitting together. “Ma’am, I don’t think-”

The sound of loud, panicked chirping had her mouth snapping shut. Were they… birds? 

The woman gasped, falling to her knees next to the grate. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I brought this nice police officer. She’ll help you out of there.” She cooed. The chirping settled from frightened to uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the big blue eyes were focused on Garnet, fat tears gathering at the corners. “You’ll help, right?”

She couldn’t say no to that face.

“Let me go get some tools.” She said, turning and heading towards the cruiser to hide the heat in her cheeks and the way her heart slammed against her ribs.

It didn’t take much time to get the crowbar out of the trunk. The woman was -unsurprisingly- still making chirping noises at the birds.

“Stand back please.” She advised, wedging the crowbar into the space between the pavement and the grate.

The woman scrambled out of the way, wide blue eyes staring as Garnet worked the grate loose and finally popped it up. She’d have to call the city maintenance crew to have them reseal it in the morning. Garnet let out a grunt as she pulled it out to the side.

As she gazed down, she saw that the tiny birds were, in fact, three small ducklings. They couldn’t have been more than a week old. And, for some reason, they all wore what looked to be tiny diapers.  At the sight of her, their chirps took on an alarmed tone, fluffy bodies huddling together.

The lithe woman lurched up to the edge of the pit, “No, no! It’s okay- Opal! Stop stepping on your sisters!- This nice officer will get you out, okay?”

She wobbled a bit and Garnet pulled her back before she could accidently launch herself into the pit. “Ma’am, please-”

“R-right! Sorry!” She stammered, stepping back again.

Garnet gazed down into the pit for a moment, lips pursing slightly as she considered her options. She could lower something, but there was no guarantee that they would get in. She could go get a net from the station, but they could wander further through the tunnel. Not to mention that the screeching woman would probably cry. That wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.

With a resigned sigh, she got down and slowly lowered herself into the storm drain. Even when her arms were fully extended, it was still a five foot drop to the bottom. Well, she’d come this far. She made sure to bend her knees when her feet hit the ground. It still hurt a bit, but she managed to absorb most of the shock.

The ducklings scrunched up against the wall, looking at her with apprehension.

Garnet crouched down, taking off her glasses and tucking them into the collar of her shirt. “Hey there, little ones. It’s alright. I’m here to help you out.” She murmured, keeping her voice low and calm.

Their ruffled feathers slowly settled and she held out a hand, palm up. “That’s it, nice and easy.”

Finally, one with a few dark splotches on it’s back, let out a loud, shrill squeak and ambled over to her hand. A grin pulled at her lips when the other two decided to follow. Carefully, she scooped them all into one hand, keeping the pace slow and even so as not to startle them. 

“There we go, that wasn’t so hard was it?”

The one that came over first let out  loud chirps, until the smallest trampled all over her. The big one, almost completely black, just glared at her. Garnet didn’t know it was possible for a duckling to look angry.

“Now comes the hard part.” She mumbled, looking up at the opening. There was no way she’d be able to jump five feet and grab the ledge with one hand. She hummed to herself for a moment, eyebrows knit together.

“Ma’am?”

The blonde peeked her head over the edge, looking a little bit more put together. “Yes, officer?”

“Could you get the rope out of my trunk?”

“Um, yes.”

Garnet dug in her pocket before tossing the keys up. The woman caught it with impeccable aim, disappearing. Garnet really hoped she didn’t steal the cruiser. That’d be a lot of paperwork to fill out.

After a moment, the head reappeared. “I have it.”

“Alright. I’d like you to tie it to the street sign out there and toss the other end down, please.”

A few more moments of waiting had the end of a rope flicking down in front of her. That was one problem solved. But, she required both hands to climb the rope. That one was a lot easier. With a few more reassurances uttered, she lifted the duckling and perched them atop her voluminous hair.

As she lifted herself steadily up the rope, Garnet was thankful that they still had rope climbing in the gym while she was in highschool. Finally, she gripped the edge and lifted herself over,lips parted to catch her breath.

“My babies!” The woman screeched, lifting them out of their temporary nest to cradle them against her chest. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Garnet stood slowly, brushing herself off. Suddenly, she was captured in a rib-crushing hug, knocking the breath out of her all over again. The ducklings curled up in the hood of her sweater chirped excitedly as their adopted mother squealed,“Thank you so, so much!”

Garnet let out a slight wheeze and the woman jolted back again, hands fluttering around her erratically, “Oh goodness, I’m so, so sorry!”

“It’s alright.” She assured, pulling the sunglasses out of her collar and placing them back over her eyes.

The sun was starting to set and a peek at her wristwatch told her it was starting to get late.She took a glance at the woman again, watching as she murmured and grinned at the tiny birds. Small town or not, she didn’t feel comfortable letting her walk home alone. 

“Would you like a ride home?”

Her gaze snapped up to her and Garnet made sure to look anywhere but those lovely blue eyes, glad the glasses hid most of her expression. “I-If it’s not any trouble, I’d like that.”

“No trouble at all.” Garnet gave the woman a small smile, starting towards the cruiser. She pulled the door open for her before walking around and settling in her own seat.

“Thank you, officer.” She said. She looked so small and tired, curled up in the seat with a bunch of ducks in her lap.

“Please, just call me Garnet.”

“Oh!” She gasped, a hand flying up to touch her cheek. “I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Pearl.”

“It’s a shame we had to meet like this, but it’s nice to meet you nonetheless, Pearl.” Garnet liked the way the name left her mouth, almost like a purr.

Judging by the bright pink flush on her cheeks, Pearl liked it too. “Y-you too.”

“Where are we headed?”

“Just down next to the post office.”

The drive was short. That fact was a lot more disappointing than she had anticipated. Before she knew it, the cruiser was slowing to a stop outside of a small sky blue house. An immaculate lawn led up to some well-tended bushes, the porch devoid of any furniture.

“Thank you again, Garnet.” Pearl told her, offering a wide smile. “I really appreciate it.”

“It was my pleasure. I’m glad they’re alright.” She motioned to the ducklings. They had huddled together in Pearl’s lap, dozing off for most of the ride. “Do they have names?”

Pearl’s smile widened further as she gazed down at them. “Oh yes! This one,” she pointed to the small yellow one, “Is Opal. She’s very quiet, but a bit of a troublemaker. This loud one here,” She pointed to the one with splotches on her back, “Is Sardonyx. And the grumpy one,” She stroked the big brown one under her beak, “Is Sugilite.”

Garnet stretched a hand out, glancing up at Pearl, “May I?”

At the woman’s nod, Garnet ran the back of her knuckles over the downy feathers gently. “It was nice to meet you all too.”

Pearl stared at her, eyes sparkling. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times, but looked away. “I guess I’d better go, I wouldn’t want to keep you from your patrol for too long.”

Garnet wanted to tell her that this was the most interesting thing that had happened all month, but didn’t want to seem irresponsible. She watched as Pearl gathered up her ducklings, cradling them carefully as she got out. A tight feeling steadily grew in her chest as she watched her walk up to her porch.

A wild idea talked her into opening her door and jogging up to the porch after her. “Pearl.”

Pearl blinked and looked at her curiously, pausing with the screen door held open against her shoulder. “Yes, Garnet?”

“A new movie is coming out in the theatre next week,” She said, forcing her voice to stay steady, despite her nerves. “Would you be interested in coming with me?”

Pearl stared for a moment before a blinding smile spread across her face. “I’d love to!”

“Great. I’ll stop by with the details tomorrow evening.” She said, a warmth exploding in her chest and spreading all the way to her fingertips and toes.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Garnet turned, starting back towards the cruiser. She barely restrained herself long enough to hear the door click shut before she let out a quiet, monotone scream. Her walk turned into more of a skip and her cheeks hurt from the force of her grin.

The sound of giggling had her glancing behind her, seeing Pearl standing behind her screen door with her lip between her teeth and eyes full of mirth. 

Garnet cleared her throat, walking briskly to the cruiser as her cheeks burned.


	3. Chapter 3

Amethyst’s phone rang loudly and she jolted awake with a snort. With an irritated growl, she sat up from where she’d slumped over on the couch and let out a long yawn. Her show was already over, she’d fallen asleep in the first five minutes. Fortunately, she’d set it to record. DVR’s were a blessing.

Finally, she flicked off the tv and leaned over the arm of the couch to reach where her phone had fallen.

“Yo.” She murmured, peering at the dim light filtering through the blinds. It was nearly night time already.

“Amethyst?” It was Pearl. Amethyst smiled. “Are you free tonight?”

She got up sluggishly, ambling to the kitchen, “Yeah, what’s up?”

“I have a date tonight!”

She grabbed a glass from the cupboard, grinning to herself. “Way to go, P! Who’s the lucky lady?”

“Do you remember the police officer that works the night shift?”

“Garnet?” Over the years, Garnet had busted her with anything and everything she tried to get away with. She was nice though.Instead of saying all that -which would inevitably lead Pearl to asking exactly what she’d been up to- Amethyst just said, “Yeah, I know her.”

“Isn’t she gorgeous?”

Amethyst laughed, filling her glass with water. Now that she thought about it, Garnet was exactly her type. It was a surprise they hadn’t met earlier. “Totally.”

“Anyways, we have plans to go see a movie tonight, but- you see, I need a babysitter.”

Amethyst stopped mid-sip, squinting. “Pearl… I saw you a couple weeks ago. How do you already have a baby?” Then, an even more alarming thought, “Listen, I know Steven going to college was tough on you, but kidnapping isn’t the answer.”

“Amethyst!” Pearl squawked, indignant, “They’re not actually… children.”

“Did you summon a baby demon or something? Cause that’s still not the best-”

“They’re ducks.”

Amethyst blinked.

“Well, ducklings. They’re really young, Amethyst. I just don’t feel comfortable leaving them all alone.”

“So you just have a bunch of birds now?” Amethyst giggled. She’d been calling Pearl ‘Mama Bird’ for years. She never knew that the nickname would ever fit so well.

“Not a bunch, just three”

Amethyst thought for a moment. It was good for Pearl to be back on the dating scene after… after everything that happened. Amethyst was proud of her.

And Pearl had better wifi at her house. “Sure, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you so much Amethyst! I’m gonna be leaving at eight, but you can come over as early as you want!”

Amethyst didn’t really  _ do _ punctuality. Nonetheless, she found herself there fifteen minutes early.

Pearl gave her a wide smile when she opened the door. “Amethyst! You’re early!”

Amethyst shrugged, feeling heat come to her face. “It didn’t take me long to get ready, and I didn’t want to sit around at home in my going outside clothes.” She muttered.

Pearl gave her a hug anyways.

A bunch of squeaking quacks started in the hall, growing louder until a bunch of duckling tip tapped their way over to hop around on Pearl’s feet and look up at her with beady little eyes. They were half fluff and half actual feathers and puffed up when she crouched down to look more closely.

“Why are they wearing diapers?”

Pearl winced, “I hadn’t anticipated how messy they’d be.”

Amethyst let out a bark of laughter. “So, what are their names?”

“Opal, Sardonyx, and Sugilite.” She said, motioning to each in turn.

They blinked up at her. Amethyst could already confidently say that she adored them.

Pearl motioned for her to come further into the house, already launching into rapid fire instructions. “I have a bowl of food you can give to them at 8:30, don’t let Sugilite hog all of it though. They should have their bath around 9 - make sure you keep the door closed! They don’t have all of their feather yet, but they have enough to flap around  _ very _ fast and they’ll get water  _ all over _ the house. So, they will need to go to bed around 10-”

“Woah, Pearl chill!” She spoke up, “I can take care of it.”

Pearl ran a hand through her hair, trying to smooth it back into place after working herself up. “Sorry, I just-”

“I know. But try not to stress yourself out, okay?”

She took a deep breath, a bit of tension draining out of her when she exhaled, and gave Amethyst a soft smile. “I’ll do my best.”

Pearl’s best wasn’t… great, seeing as all the tension came back when a knock sounded at the door.

Amethyst patted her on the back, giving her a lopsided smile. “Remember, be yourself, don’t eat any garlic-”

Pearl giggled, rolling her eyes. “Amethyst, I’m in my thirties. I think I’m past dating advice… but, thank you.”

“You got this, P.”

Pearl squares her shoulders and nods, taking another breath before going to greet Garnet at the door.

Amethyst thought it was better to hang back a bit, didn’t need Garnet spotting her. She couldn’t hear Garnet, but she could hear Pearl’s melodic voice- high with excitement. When they left, she looked at the ducklings - they’d settled after getting used to her. She’d make damn sure that Pearl had nothing to worry about.

It was easy. She fed them, bathed them, and set them in their little nest to sleep. They all snuggled up together and closed their eyes and Amethyst left the room to sit out in the living room.

She was only half an episode into Desperate Housewives -she couldn’t believe Pearl still recorded those- when she heard quiet chirping from down the hall. Her eyebrows knit together. Did they just do that in their sleep? She’d never taken care of birds before.

She got up to go check on them, just in case. When she opened the door, her heart rate spiked. They weren’t in their bed. She opened it further and stepped in, looking around the room. The sound of rapid tapping and chirping fled down the hall behind her and she let out a little laugh. She didn’t know ducks could be  _ clever _ .

She whirled to give chase, but found no ducklings when she got to the living room. “Where’d you guys go now?” She muttered. She looked in the small kitchen, behind the tv stand, under the couch; no luck. She double checked the rooms, still coming up empty. Where could they have gone?

She opened the door, scanning the patio and the lawn to make sure they hadn’t got outside somehow. Amethyst heard the chirping again. Right below her, in fact. She looked down to see them speeding between her legs and out the door before she could close it.

Amethyst stood frozen for a moment as she watched them flutter down the sidewalk, heart stopping cold in her chest. Then, without even putting on her shoes, she took off after them.

Little ducks had  _ no business _ being that fast. Her teeth grit as they turned a corner and left her sight. Amethyst turned the corner after them, running directly into another body and knocking them both to the ground.

“What are you  _ doing _ ?” A nasally voice shrieked.

Amethyst ignored it, looking up and down the street. No sign of them.

“Get off me you clod!”

Amethyst complied numbly, still looking at where the ducks  _ should  _ have been and breathing a lot harder than necessary. They were gone.

“What in the world are you doing running around in the middle of the night and knocking over strangers?”

Amethyst clutched at her chest, eyes falling to the ground. Pearl and her hadn’t always been friends. They used to  _ detest _ each other. Pearl was so uptight, and Amethyst could admit that she’d been pretty irresponsible.

After Rose passed, they raised Steven together. It was rocky, but a lot changed. Pearl loosened up, Amethyst took more responsibility. They were friends. Pearl  _ trusted _ her.

Past tense. Pearl wouldn’t trust her as far as she could throw her after this. Amethyst had worked so hard, and now she’d ruined it all in one fell swoop.

She took in a shuddering breath, sitting down heavily and bringing her knees to her chest.

“What- are you- are you crying?”

Amethyst had nearly forgotten she was there. She curled tighter, breath coming out in harsh pants. Great. Now she was crying in front of a stranger.

A hesitant hand patted her shoulder. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so harsh. I’m still working on that.”

Amethyst almost wanted to laugh. “Not your fault yo.”

“Even so, I - is there anything I can do to help?”

“You don’t have to feel sorry for me or anything.” She muttered, heat rising to her face.

The woman made a face and shook her head quickly, shifting from foot to foot. Did she ever stand still? “No, I don’t feel sorry for you. I just, I want-” She took a deep breath, “Listen, I’m not great with tact, so I’ll just say it. You’re actually really cute and I want to help you out and maybe obtain your number if you’d be alright with that.”

Amethyst stared at her for a while, face turning red for a whole other reason.

Her fidgeting intensified, sweat starting to bead on her forehead. “Please say something, this is incredibly nerve wracking.”

Amethyst let loose a round of giggles, “You’re a nerd.”

“I’m aware.”

“I guess you can start by helping me up.” She reached a hand up and the woman took it and helped pull her to her feet. 

“So what’s your name?” She asked, brushing the dirt off her pants.

“Peridot.”

“Amethyst.”

Peridot’s thin lips pulled up into a small smile and Amethyst was suddenly glad that she bumped into her.

“So, I’m looking for some ducks.”

“Ducks?”

“Yeah, they’re my friend’s and I’m supposed to be babysitting them.”

“You were… babysitting ducks.”

“She’s weird. Anyways, they got out and if I don’t find them my friendship is over.” She finished. Peridot looked like she was still processing everything, but that sick curl of anxiety was starting to nag at Amethyst’s chest again. “Have you seen them?”

“I don’t know if it was them, but I saw something small and fast head that way.” Peridot pointed down the street.

Amethyst’s breath caught and she started in that direction, but Peridot caught her arm.

“Wait!”

“What?” Amethyst groaned.

“Let me go that way. You go around the other side so we have a higher chance of catching it.”

Amethyst’s eyebrows knit together. She really was a nerd. A cute one at that. “Good idea.”

They split up and Amethyst ran down the other street. Her heart beat heavily in her chest, but Peridot brought a glimmer of hope to a bleak situation.

The glimmer of hope turned to a shining beacon when she caught sight of Sardonyx. Well, she  _ heard _ her first. She was fluttering straight towards her with Peridot in hot pursuit, screeching as if the world was ending. Sardonyx flapped behind Amethyst’s legs and glared at Peridot. She leaned down and scooped her into her arms, watching the feathers settle down.

“You didn’t feel that way a few minutes ago.” She huffed. The duck had no reply other than a stare.

Amethyst shot Peridot a sympathetic look. She was doubled over and panting raggedly.

“You alright there, Peri?”

“They have no business being that fast.” She gasped, glaring up at the little bird.

Amethyst laughed and patted her on the back. “Took the words right out of my mouth. You ready to get the others?”

“How many are there?”

“Two to go.”

Sugilite was easier to find. She was almost as noisy as Sardonyx and didn’t run nearly as fast. They found her honking at a confused dog on the other side of a chain link fence and scooped her up -much to her displeasure- before continuing their search for Opal.

Opal was much harder. They searched together, split up, and met back up near the house -only to find her napping next to a stop sign just down the street. Peridot lifted her gingerly. When she snuggled up in her arms with a soft quack, Peri looked back up to Amethyst with a wide grin.

Amethyst grinned back. “C’mon. Pearl’s house is just down this way.”

They walked down the street. Without the panic curling around her chest, Amethyst slowed down enough to enjoy the night air. The company wasn’t bad either.

“Where were you heading when I ran into you?”

Peridot shrugged, careful to not jostle the little duck in her arms. “Just walking home from work.”

That explained the slacks, button up, and lime green bow tie. Amethyst felt a small pang of guilt. “Didn’t mean to hold you up so long. You’re probably tired.”

“I just work down at the library. Besides, I did say that I  _ wanted _ to help.”

She led her up to the door and stopped, suddenly at a loss for what to do. The night had turned out shockingly well. The ducklings were safe and home, and she’d met a cute girl that wanted her number.

Headlights shone on them. Amethyst felt her heart drop and Peridot made a startled noise.

“Amethyst, what are you doing out here? And - oh, the ducklings! They should be in bed! What’s going on?” Pearl asked, trotting up to the patio.

Peridot paled, but Amethyst shuffled her feet and took a deep breath. A few years ago, she may have come up with some excuse or tall tale, but the thought of lying felt like lead in her chest. So she told the truth, watching Pearl’s face go from panic, to more panic, to  _ slightly _ less panic. Garnet came up to join them on the porch, stoic as ever.

“I-I’m sorry Pearl. I know that you probably don’t trust me anymore, but they’re alright now.” She murmured. She felt like crying again.

“Oh, Amethyst.  _ Of course _ I trust you.” Pearl said, her voice soft. “I know you didn’t mean for this to happen. And not only did you go make sure they were safe, but you were honest with me when you came back.”

“Are you for real?”

Pearl pulled her into a hug - delicate, so as not to wake the ducks. “Of course.” She held Amethyst’s shoulders, smiling. “I’m so proud of how much you’ve grown over the years.”

Amethyst laughed, “What are you talking about? You have too. A few years back, you would’ve flipped your lid over this.”

“I suppose we’ve both changed for the better.” Pearl looked around, a light flush adorning her cheeks when she realized that they still had company. “Well, I should go and put them to bed.”

She turned to Garnet, blush growing brighter. “Would you like to come inside?”

Amethyst and Peridot shared a look when Garnet smiled and nodded, both of them disappearing inside. 

“Woah.” Amethyst giggled. “I knew Pearl was gutsy, but I didn’t know she was that gutsy.”

“I have no idea who she is, but I envy her courage.” Peridot agreed.

Amethyst stared at the door for a moment, stoking her own courage. She grabbed Peridot’s hand, trying to act nonchalant about it, and tugged her towards her car.

“C’mon Peri, I’ll give you a ride home.”

Peridot looked at their intertwined hands, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Besides, I still need to give you my number.”


End file.
